Yoga for the Construction Industry, also known as Yoga with Your Boots On, was founded by Allan Nett, a Certified Iyengar Yoga instructor for 25 years, and a construction contractor for 29 years. Nett is available to visit individual job sites to provide consultations
regarding the designing of yoga classes for the entire crew.
The construction industry is known for sore hands and knees, bad backs and hurt
shoulders. Yoga for the Construction Industry (YCI) was developed to help workers
recover from these injuries, gain mobility, and much more. YCI is a program of an
initial “body posture and pain assessment", followed by a tailored program of
guided yoga stretches and positions. YCI’s yoga instructor Allan Nett, not only helps
workers to help themselves to heal their workplace injuries, but his method also
assists workers in aligning their attention with their awareness of their body, which in
turn prevents future injuries, and reduces medical injury costs.
Techniques Make the Difference
YCI’s techniques are designed for construction workers who spend much of their day bending, kneeling and carrying. Nett has developed several key construction yoga
stretches (named after typical construction tools): Plumb Bob, Re-Bar Tie, T-Square, Framing Square, Speed Square, 1/4 Round, Transit, Auger, Bevel Square, and Rt. Angle
to maximize body strength. Nett, an active construction contractor, believes injuries on
the job can be prevented with aware body movement.
“I was taking serious painkillers to take the edge off the pain in my lower back", said Scott Hart, construction worker and YCI student. “I used to have good days
and bad days, but in a few minutes Allan identified positions and stretches that relieved my pain, and when I do them, I don’t need to take the pills.”
Construction Work Begets Body Stressors
The construction field puts physical stressors on the body that can cause debilitating
injury due to heavy lifting and repetitive movements. In YCI workshops, students learn simple, applicable yoga stretches to counter the “wear and tear” that construction work often causes. In Allan's yoga workshops, students gain an understanding of how to use postures to get relief from their aches and pains, on and off the job.
“Most construction workers are ‘off balance’,” said Nett. “I know many
construction workers with one shoulder two inches higher than the other, for example. The body compensates, but as one ages, it becomes a problem. I have
built houses from the ground up and been involved in every phase of construction,
so I am very familiar with the repetitive movements and subsequent injuries construction workers are prone to. I have also spent years teaching yoga and
doing body work, so I know the body well and am able to quickly identify, assess clients’ pain source, and teach the stretches and positions that will help to heal
their injuries.”
YCI classes focus on shoulder stiffness, hip mobility, problem knees, and hand and
neck pain, as well as relieving back pain caused by heavy lifting. With practice, the
body begins to repair itself and at the same time personal health, posture, mood and
self-image are enhanced.
Yoga: A Six-Thousand-Year Tradition
Yoga is a tool that eliminates toxins from the body, one muscle and one organ
at a time. It also stimulates the brain and improves thinking patterns. Through poses
specifically designed for construction workers' body issues, a change occurs in a worker's body awareness and a change in lifestyle can occur. Practicing Yoga, changes a
person’s physical body, as well as mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Alignment
of the body and awareness of the mind create balance in human beings.
Here are some of the stories of workers who have attended Allan's Yoga for the Construction Industry classes:
Richard Sheehe, 55, is a contractor and owner of Napa Valley Construction;
he had a "dropped shoulder" so bad he couldn't even bend over to tie his
shoes. Now after 6 months with YCI's classes, he stands erect, feels at least
10 years younger, and has even lost 40lbs. as an added benefit.
Larry Rhoades, 54, owner of Napa Valley Door and Trim, has scar tissue in a
knot on the lower right side of his back from lifting doors for over 35 years.
He used to go to a chiropractor, ice and lay up for a couple of days, and now
thru YCI's stretch and strength instruction, he is "pain free for the rest of my
life," Larry said regarding his injury.
"DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!"
As you can see, the headstand came first; the tool belt came later!
